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Who is a Board Recognized Fluency Specialist?
In order to practice as a certified Speech
Language Pathologist, an individual must hold a Certificate of Clinical
Competence awarded by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. This
certificate assures the consumer that the professional has completed a rigorous
training program that may include fluency courses, passed a national
examination, and completed a post graduate clinical fellowship year of
supervised work experience.
ASHA-approved specialty programs recognize
speech-language pathologists who have advanced training and have met high
standards of clinical expertise in specific areas. Board Recognized Specialists
in Fluency Disorders have demonstrated in-depth knowledge of the nature and
treatment of stuttering and other fluency disorders, and have undergone peer
review of their qualifications. Specialists who have been approved since 2001
have at least two years of full-time equivalent clinical experience beyond the
Certificate of Clinical Competence, have completed 100 hours of post graduate
educational training in fluency disorders, have 100 hours of guided and
supervised clinical practice with persons who stutter and their families under
the supervision of a Board Recognized Fluency Specialist Mentor, and submitted a
portfolio of clinical work for review and approval by the Specialty Board on
Fluency Disorders.
To maintain Board Recognized Fluency
Specialist status, all specialists participate in 45 hours of continuing
education over a three-year period and maintain active clinical practice in the
area of stuttering. Credentials are submitted to the Board for review every
three years.
Lists of Board Recognized Fluency Specialists
may be found on this web site listed by state or alphabetically by name.
CLICK HERE
for lists of specialists.
What are the benefits of working with a
Board Recognized Fluency Specialist?
The consumer can be assured that a Board
Recognized Fluency Specialist has the knowledge, skills, interest, and
commitment to provide high quality services to persons who stutter and their
families. While some specialists may favor certain approaches or provide
services focused more on children, teens, or adults, request information
regarding options for treatment programs as well as referrals to other
specialists in your area if you have further questions or concerns.
What if Specialists are not available in my
area?
If a specialist is not available in your area,
you may inquire about a specialist providing consultative services with your
speech-language pathologist, just as your family physician works with a medical
specialist. Some school systems employ fluency specialists who serve as
consultants to their colleagues, and specialists in universities or private
clinics often are available for consultation. A growing number of clinicians use
teleconferencing and video review to collaborate on evaluation and treatment.
Effective treatment for stuttering is a
therapeutic partnership between clinician and client. It is your right as a
consumer to ask a speech-language pathologist about his or her experience in
working with people who stutter, and discuss therapy goals and treatment
approaches.
Further guidance on choosing a clinician is
available in the SBFD’s Guide for Parents (http://www.stutteringspecialists.org/SBFDGuideForParents.pdf)
Other information is available at the
following websites:
Stuttering Homepage
Stuttering Foundation
National
Stuttering Association
(http://www.mnsu.edu/comdis/kuster/therapy.html)
(http://www.stutteringhelp.org/Default.aspx?tabid=9)
(http://www.westutter.org/whoWeHelp/Find-a-Specialist1.htm)